Because after 4th of July, we went right back to Tahoe for more boating on the lake, and then I went to visit my grandmother in St. Louis for a few days.  Somehow we managed to squeeze in a few days in Cabo somewhere in there, too.

So of course I’ve felt a little guilty about “blog neglect” and I’ve been meaning to cook something really fabulous and spend some time photographing it and writing up a really fascinating post about it.  I’ve been trolling around on other blogs for inspiration and falling asleep with cooking magazines tucked under my chin, searching for the perfect recipe.

Then tonight I came home from work and Moe had brought home lobster tail for dinner.  Along with bell peppers in a rainbow of colors and two big, fat artichokes.  Everything looked so good and fresh that I couldn’t help but ask myself, who needs a recipe?  Fresh, seasonal food needs nothing at all except a little olive oil and salt.

So that’s what we did.  We cracked those lobster tails, par-boiled the artichokes, skewered the bell peppers, drizzled everything olive oil, and threw it all on the grill.  And then I photographed the feast with my iPhone. No food styling, no lights or filters.  Just a fabulous, fuss-free, no-recipe dinner.

And then we cracked open a bottle of chardonnay, and we ate.

I did a number of things wrong.  First, instead of chopping my vegetables, I diced them.  I would say they were about a half inch thick.  This was the beginning of the end, because at that small size there was no way they were going to cook before they burned to oblivion.  I also drizzled them with olive oil; I know now that they should be nearly drowned in an oily vinaigrette.  Then I put them right next to the chicken legs, in the center of the grill, where the flames were leaping through the grate with alarming ferocity.  That was the end of the end.  Dinner that night was chicken with corn.  The veggie skewers went into the compost bin.

So here are my lessons learned:

1. Cut your vegetables into pieces that are larger than you think they should be. Vegetables chopped too small will burn before they’re cooked.  They will also lose volume as they cook.
2. Cut all your vegetables into roughly the same thickness so they cook at the same rate.
3. Good vegetables for grilling include yellow squash, zucchini, sweet onions (Vidalia or red), mushrooms, bell peppers, and whole cherry tomatoes.
4. Potatoes can be grilled if they’re parboiled beforehand.
5. Gently toss your vegetables in a generous mixture of oil, vinegar (about 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar), and salt before pushing them onto the skewers.  Make sure each piece is fully coated in the dressing.
6. Pack your vegetables snugly onto the skewers.  Air gaps between the veggie pieces will cause them to burn.
7. Grill them away from the flame, off to the side where the heat is intense but not direct.
8. Keep turning the skewers so the pieces cook evenly and all the way through (without charring).
9. If you’re using bamboo or other wooden skewers, remember to soak them in warm water for at least 30 minutes before using.

Voila!

Remember, even veggies on a stick need a little attention.

But sometime Sunday morning I realized that my dad, who is the head chef of our family, wanted nothing more for Father’s Day than to be left alone to toil over his woodworking in the garage.  He was building a cabinet for my mom and was “almost” finished, he kept saying.  At this rate, dinner would be ready sometime close to midnight.  Getting a reservation at a decent restaurant this late in the game seemed unlikely, so I decided to do a daughter’s duty and cook.  Grilling sounded like a good idea, and fish with summer veggies sounded even better.

I suggested salmon but my mom had her heart set on tilapia, which presented a challenge.   Tilapia is too delicate to cook on the grill; it sticks to the grill bars and generally falls apart in a big mess.  So I had to innovate with a bit of tinfoil.  I wrapped seasoned tilapia fillets in foil packets, stuffing the packets with slivered green onions and chopped cilantro, and cooked the packets on the grill for about 12 minutes.  I served the fish with Moroccan couscous, summer vegetable skewers, coleslaw, and a nice toasted baguette.   The best thing about this meal is that the fish is nearly effortless, and both the coleslaw and the couscous can be made well in advance.  All of this meant that while my dad was toiling in the garage, I was lounging by the pool with my mom and sister.  We all got to enjoy the day and we still had a decent dinner together.

We ate in my parents’ warmly lit dining room as the sun went down, and my dad remarked that a happy dad is one who doesn’t have to cook on Father’s Day. 

“Grilled” Tilapia

8 tilapia fillets, seasoned with Paul Prudhomme’s “Seafood Magic” Seasoning Blend, salt, and pepper
12 green onions, washed, trimmed, and quartered lengthwise.
2 small bunches of cilantro, rinsed and dried
2 lemon wedges
2 sheets of tin foil, about 10 inches square, rubbed on one side with a bit of olive oil

Heat grill to medium heat.  Season all sides of the tilapia fillets.  Place four fillets on the oiled side of one foil sheet.  Place half of the green onions and one bunch of cilantro on top of the fish, then sprinkle with lemon juice.  Fold the edges of the foil around the fish neatly and press edges together to seal.  Repeat with remaining fish, green onions, cilantro, lemon, and foil.  Grill for 10-12 minutes over a medium flame, or until the fish is white and firm.  Unwrap the foil packets and remove the fish, discarding the cilantro and green onions.

For a photo of how your foil packet should look, check out my recipe for roasted apricots.  It’s the same technique, on a slightly smaller scale.